Somewhere in Ibadan, an innocent student believes that by the end of today, the University College Hospital will have been reconnected to the power grid, 84 whole days after the hum of the power lines went quiet. For this writer’s sake, the hundreds of others in the Alexander Brown Hall and Ayodele Falase Hall, and thousands more affected within and outside the Hospital complex, we pray their faith is rewarded. Marching five hours on the streets of Ibadan is not the easiest task. However, we will go again if the powers that be choose to keep spitting in our faces. The struggle is far from over, as will be elucidated shortly.
Before that, it is essential to reflect on certain elements that came into play before, during, and after the #SaveUCH Protest on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025. These elements — some subtle, some blatant — orbit student politics. In more ways than one, they are tantamount to student politics. There is no better time than now, before the next lines of action are taken, to bring them to the fore.
When the July 16th – 17th Fee Hike Protests took place, political commentators noted one thing, ‘Students from UCH were absent’. The number of clinical students present at the demonstration through the main campus and occupation of the Tekena Tamuno Building on the 17th was abysmally low. Same with the number of student leaders from the UCH Campus. Given how Clinical students (Medicine, Dentistry, Physiotherapy, Medical Lab Science and Public Health) pay more than everyone else, it was expected we lent our voice to the struggle. Too many did not. Even preclinical students failed to turn up. Were it not for the few present on site, the issue of the ABH transformer which eventually surfaced wouldn’t even have been a resolution. The situation was the same when students, again, marched a month later, on August 30th and 31st, before the compulsory three-week break was announced. As if to prove that clinical postings are so supreme they overshadow the need to afford education.
This nonchalance resurfaced during a Town Hall meeting on November 13th, 2024. When questioned, CoMUI student leaders retreated from the idea of a physical demonstration, to avoid ‘witch-hunting’ from the school authorities. Residents in the hall who proposed the measure were made to look like inconsiderate radicals. But it was logical. Two days before, there had been a resolution to have a physical banner at the ABH Gate and cardboards at the Paul Hendrickse Lecture Theatre, the venue for the 2024 Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association (ICOMAA) Homecoming Event. Executives failed to oblige. Residents even attended the event despite a resolution to boycott. It was a point where tougher measures were needed and yet unobtainable. Ultimately, where did that lead us? Back to the mobilisation that was scorned. A unified, centralised demonstration was always possible, but sadly, our leaders weren’t so keen.
Leaders elsewhere weren’t the most responsive, either. It wasn’t until after 19 Days of the blackout, that the UI’ SU issued a statement, one that lacked the bite students sought. Afterwards, there was little mention of the situation. A banner for the SU Week was placed at the ABH Gate in the weeks that followed. ABH even participated in the Cooking Competition that was held during the week, claiming a podium finish while members of the Hall prepared dishes in pitch-black darkness as if it were some exotic ingredient. During the protest, the Union’s President, Aweda Bolaji, repeatedly emphasised that several meetings had been held with Management concerning the issue. This was taken in bad faith by a fair share of students. After all, minimal proof exists in that regard. There were no public statements. Neither were there efforts to communicate with residents on the UCH Campus informally. Most importantly, the fact that the situation lasted up to 73 days before drastic action was taken, speaks volumes of the perception the Union’s Executives had of Brownites and Falase residents.
Still, concerning the Union, it’s a mark of inefficiency that most Brownites do not know the ABH Honourables in the Students’ Representatives Council. There’s no communication with constituents. Reports from sittings of the House suggest that other Honourables are more vocal on issues pertaining to the UCH Campus. Come March, another SRC election will be held, and three individuals claiming to be ‘reps’ will occupy seats at Kunle Adepeju. If no one will say it, we will. Our reps have failed us.
Darling ABH Executives, you could have done better. You should have done so much better. In the weeks before the Hall was closed for fumigation, Brownites called for a Town Hall to address the uncertainty that tainted a 2025 resumption. Multiple residents reached out, in person, on the general WhatsApp group, seeking a semblance of a solution to their compounding confusion. And what did you do? Ignore them and lock the group for ten magnificent days — 21st December to 31st December 2024 — because you were rightfully called out. The disagreements that ensued on the group were not valid enough reasons to have censored speech. In case it was unclear, that’s in fact what happened. You censored speech the same way the Federal Government censored Nigerians when it banned Twitter in 2021. Brownites had to resort to creating a parallel WhatsApp group and diverting to the UCH Students’ Association and other Association groups for conversations that should have been on the general group, the same way Nigerians resorted to downloading VPNs and exploring alternative social media apps. Hearty congratulations on the striking similarity!
On the current Executive Council, there are two former Campus Journalists, who more than everyone else should understand why free speech — limitations inclusive — is so important. That experience somehow vanished into thin air in the face of accountability. If the group wasn’t locked, and if before that, the Town Hall took place and a collective decision was arrived at, chances are that we entered 2025 on stronger footing. The most insulting aspect of the closure was the announcement of a 10,000 Naira giveaway after re-opening on the 31st. Unsurprisingly, Brownites participated in earnest; serfs to our bourgeois leaders. Seven days later, the Information Minister returned with a stunner. The same flier used in two earlier online demonstrations had been re-designed to include ‘Over 60 Days of Darkness’, followed by a comical “It’s time to cry out loud”. To whom? Buddha? You tried a strategy twice before, to mixed responses, and thought to try again. Are we even serious here?
Anyway, that’s enough dwelling in the past. Certain elements – both good and bad – were laid bare on Wednesday that should concern everyone. First, kudos must be given to the Hall Executives, Association Presidents, and UI’ SU Executives for the oustanding coordination. Except for the delay in commencement, every other aspect of the demonstration was well organised. Demands were coherent and specific, security was maximal, and conversations with the media portrayed the sort of excellence UItes are known for. Ensuring protesters were well-informed, particularly on the 378 Million debt figure, three key demands, and the August 2024 50% Tariff announcement, meant that different student interviewees stayed consistent. It also portrayed an image of a Union truly united beyond campus lines. Further commendation must be given to aspirants for the UI’ SU Executive and SRC offices who showed up to lend their voices. It’s a bare minimum that is still appreciated. Most importantly, there is a need to commend the efforts of organisations like the Concerned Students Movement who stayed vocal about the need for a demonstration and proactive measures in the days and weeks leading up to the protest. But for their sustained campaign online and offline, a substantial portion of the UI populace was disconnected from the happenings in UCH. It’s also telling that they’ve played a key role in other movements for the welfare of UItes.
This is where the commendations end for truly, so many elements of that day are deserving of only reprimand. As of 7:20 AM that morning, there were less than 20 Brownites at the Hall Gate. To put it in context, residents of Falase, who have better fortunes in terms of water and a generator for support, were out before us. Even students from the main campus — including directly unaffected preclinical students — who were to take a bus down were at SUB, yet Brownites who had spent two months lamenting could not emerge on time. Many came almost an hour and forty-five minutes later, looking all dapper and geared like they were en route to a photoshoot rather than a long trek. No one said we shouldn’t look good but the lack of urgency was disappointing. It was so sad that at some point, students from UI raised questions about the number. That was even after accounting for more than half of the Hall at home. It was shocking, upon return to discover Brownites moving about the Hall with a laissez-faire attitude and not a regard in the world for the demonstration. It’s almost like power being restored concerns just the protesters and not the thousands – at full capacity – in both Halls of residence and the tens of thousands that frequent the hospital.
At least the majority of Brownites still emerged. The story of residents of the Engelbert Beyer Centre – popularly known as ‘Catholic Hostel’ – was a lot more disappointing. While fellow students were converging on the State and Federal Secretariats, residents here stayed in, unwilling and uninterested in the outcome of the protest. In the 48 hours since the protests, justifiable reasons for this action still haven’t emerged. These students pay almost five times the regular ABH accommodation fee and have to make do with a few hours of power supply from an inverter daily. No version of a powered UCH does not benefit them. Yet, they stayed back, and even worse, silent in some cases; not engaging online like many who are at home. It draws to mind the famous piece of prose by German Lutheran pastor, Martin Niemöller,” First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew”. In this case, they fail to realise that they are merely one technical malfunction away from being in the same shoes as the rest of the compound. So many crosses, so little understanding.
The next class of offenders were actually participatory. They were present from the first “Of the greatest Nigerian students!” in front of the College Of Medicine gate to the last chants of “Milo!” uttered as Oba Adedire Solomon promised power supply on Friday. They led those chants. We’re talking about the UI’ SUEC Aspirants. Clad in black like the rest of us, they marched arm-in-arm, opponent holding opponent, seemingly putting the movement ahead of their political differences. Or so many thought. By evening, some of these aspirants showed why students are as distrusting of their leaders, as they are of politicians like the Oba. Not up to seven hours later, some candidates had politicised their presence at the protest. One, in a twisted, almost malevolent form of wordplay, utilised a ‘Give Us Light’ placard for her campaign centred around the same word. Never mind that her opponent didn’t even deem it fit to show up or commiserate with protesters afterwards. Another spoke on his exceptional leadership skills with a picture from the protest, fists raised to the heavens. His counterpart ensured pictures and videos of him chanting pervaded the student space. The two seeking to be the mouthpieces of the Union employed creative strategies with pictures to prove a point of comradeship. Dear Sirs and Ma, is it too much to ask that you don’t politicise certain things? This is people’s pain we’re talking about here and yet, you deem it fit to campaign with their tears and agony. There should be a point where politicisation ends and empathy alone shines forth. It’s a pattern that’s been observed since the Queen Elizabeth II Hall fire in December where an avalanche of letterheads emerged in the hours post-extinguishing.
More alarming is that some of these names were absent when UItes protested in July and August. Some of them decried the efforts of protesters, explaining that alternatives existed. To the question of ‘What changed?’ between then and now, there is only one answer; personal interest. They’re not running for us. And even if they are, it’s not because they believe in wholesome service to students. Their gain lies somewhere at the Kunle Adepeju Building and the hundreds of doors occupying said offices help open. We won’t forget. And this writer hopes that members of the student populace also do not forget.
Everything that has a beginning must surely have an end, but for this struggle, the hard truth is that no end is in sight. If by some stroke of truly bizarre providence, Oba Adewole’s promise comes to pass, that would still not be the end of it. How long will power last for? Will it be restored everywhere in UCH? How many hours per day? Will we still have to pay the 20,000 Naira utility fee? When do we resume since MDCAN UCH is on strike? When will we get the promised solar farm? There are so many questions unanswered by the Federal Government and Hospital Management. For these reasons, what we can do is cater to the issues that are within our power. If – dare we say ‘once’- this promise is broken, we must be ready to take up arms again. There’s a reason the slogan for the current school-fee struggle is #TillWeWin. It’s a continuous process. Boycotts, sit-at-home, online and physical demonstrations, as many news interviews as possible, as many call-outs as possible etc should be employed to the best of our capacity. Citizens have shown us that they support us but there’s very little they can do beyond that, so we must endeavour to do the best to become medical professionals who can save lives. If we will leave anything for God, let it be the efforts that truly supersede human effort. Student leaders should be at the forefront of these movements. Awards of service will arrive in a few months. However, before then, you must prove yourselves deserving. Again, we must commend the efforts of the ABH Executives in securing donations and reaching out to willing sponsors. At no point in the history of the Hall has it ever been this bleak. Hopefully, your remaining months in office will be brightened, starting with obtaining a definite response from the Government. Residents of ABH and Falase cannot afford to relent. Not now. Not ever, if we are keeping it a buck.
As this is being written, Lagos State University College of Medicine students have taken to the streets, protesting similar conditions. Their demonstration was inspired partly by the actions of UI students on Wednesday. If you need further evidence of the impact of our demonstration or the severity of the situation, you can find your answer here.
Odin
